Republican gun raffle in Giffords' county -draws criticism

By Brad PooleTUCSON, Ariz | Fri Sep 2, 2011 10:51am EDT(Reuters) - The Republican Party in Representative Gabrielle Giffords' home county is raising eyebrows by raffling off a Glock handgun -- the same brand handgun with which Giffords, a Democrat, was shot through the head in January.http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/ … edType=RSS i watched this on the news and some commentators think it's extremely poor taste and insensitive..i happen to agree

There was so much response to the publicity generated by this story that they are now raffling a second gun. Insensitive doesn't begin to describe these people. Sick, twisted morons are not merely insensitive.

No, sick twisted morons are guaranteed rights and I'm fine with that. It would be nice if they showed a bit of responsibility and respect when exercising those rights, but if they did so, the teabaggers would quickly run out of recruitable troglodytes.

It's not about who you are to respect, it is about respecting the law. BTW the right to bear arms was not meant to right for all citizens to bear arms. The 2nd amendment was the right to bear arms when it applied to state militias. Keep in mind the context of that amendment. The revolutionary war was not just fought by government troops but by militias supported and organized by state and local officials. The militias today would be called guerrillas...their tactics were considered guerrilla warfare--shooting from behind rocks, trees and hidden from sight. The normal war etiquette was too line up in single line against your foe who did the same and volley shot into the opposing crowd. The militias played a pivotal role in winning the war thus after the war the 2nd amendment came it being but it was not about giving gun right to single individuals...it was to support local and state sanctioned militias. Sometimes, those of you on the right fail to read the amendment ... every word of it...so you go and support the right's talking points even when they are wrong. Read it, examine it--go back and study some history--stop repeating Limbaugh's talking points....cuz you are sounding as idiotic as he is.

The question of whether the 2nd applied to groups or individuals was settled with the Supreme Court's Hellar decision. Agree with it or not, legally the case is closed. Individuals have a right to carry, and local governments have the right to protect the citizens by placing reasonable restrictions on that right.

Aw, but reading the actual amendment takes personal effort.It's so much easier to spout talking points.Besides, it's a lot more fun to rewrite history than to study it.Ask Sarah Palin. She's a Revolutionary War expert!

The raffling of the gun is really not the issue. Raffling or selling guns by law enforcement is not uncommon...especially during time of austerity. However, the issue is the raffling of this particular gun, since it represents political violence. For example, would law enforcement in Killeen raffle off the guns used by the Ft Hood shooter? Probably not since the symbolic nature of the weapon would prohibit such a move. Most likely, the weapons are in control of the Army not law enforcement there. However, if law enforcement would have control of the weapons...they most undeniably would more likely destroy the weapons not raffle them. The GOP in AZ however is so ideologically bent that this move is more about sticking their finger in the eye of the Dems, which Gifford represents, rather than doing what is right. The right thing to do is to auction off the right of the winning bidder to choose how the guns are to be disposed of, rather than their outright ownership. Law enforcement saw two things...1. a political statement and 2. a way to bring in some needed cash.

You are right but it is hopeless to control or eradicate illegal drug use too but that doesn't prevent law enforcement from trying. As long as this world manufactures arms, like drugs, eradicating their illegal use is impossible...but preventing or controlling their use is possible and we will have to keep on trying.

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